Nothing Special
by datkarKatass
Summary: Marik and his family, on the run from their father. Bakura and Ryou, abandoned when they were young by their own family. When these two collide, what could life possibly bring? The answer is simple; bitter drama, lonely nights, and the sweetest of romances.
1. Prologue: Saturday, June 18th 2011

**A/N: Any of the readers of the other thiefshipping fic may be going: _What? Where'd it go? Did you delete it?_ To answer your question, yes I did. To put it simply, it was a test. A beta, you could say. If anyone actually misses it (which I doubt there's any of) I can put it back up.**

**So, anyways, to the point now. The other was, in layman's terms, shit. But that should be expected, not only because it was a test run, but because it was my first fic I was going off the handle on with no consideration of a plot what-so-ever. Now, I have a plot in mind, so this should be better.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Bakura and Ryou's last name is Whittemore.**

**2) They've given each other nicknames. Baku is obviously Bakura, Ry is Ryou, and Ane is Amane.**

**3) I have a headcanon that Bakura would be more happy-go-lucky before his mom and Amane died, or in this case, abandoned them. Because of this, it just brings more pain, dontcha think?**

**4) I made up Wonderworld. I don't know of any actual amusement parks in London, and I don't really wanna look it up. Feel free to correct me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**EDIT: You guys should know that I'm constantly updating the story, making little changes as I read over it. I'll let you know whenever I do make a huge change, but that more than likely won't happen.**

* * *

**Prologue:**

**Saturday, June 18th 2011**

* * *

_**9:00 am**_

A rush of footsteps. "Baku! Wake up, wake up, wake up! We're going to Wonderworld today!" Another rush of footsteps and a slammed door.

With groggy eyes, a fourteen year old with long, white hair and brown eyes sat up. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and looked at his clock. The red numbers glared at him, reminding him in his daze that he'd only slept three hours. He tried to rack his mind for the reason. _9:00... Wonderworld..._ With a gasp, Bakura jumped up from the bed and rushed to his closet. _Wonderworld! We're going to Wonderworld today! The best amusement park in all of London!_

A twelve year old with the same hair and eyes rushed into his room. "Baku! Hurry up! We're gonna be late!" the younger brother squealed.

"Geez, Ryou, I'm coming! Hold your horses!" Bakura laughed. He quickly threw on his favorite black t-shirt and jeans, rushing downstairs with his sibling.

"Mummy! Daddy! Baku's ready!" Ryou said, wrapping his arms around his mother's waist. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Now, now, hold up! We have to wait for Amane," Mrs. Whittemore cooed to her sons. "Amane, you coming sweetie?"

"Yes, mummy! I'm coming!" And down came the seven year old sister, identical to her brothers with her white hair and brown eyes.

"Alright you kids, let's pack into the car!" Mr. Whittemore said, opening the front door. The kids rushed out to their family SUV, jumping in and buckling up. Chuckling softly, Mr. Whittemore got into the drivers seat as his wife got into the passenger. "Ready for Wonderworld?" he asked, turning in his seat and looking at his children.

"Yes!" they chorused, all smiling brightly.

"Then we're off!" Mr. Whittemore laughed as he backed out of the driveway.

_**10:00 am**_

"Alright kids, we're here!" Mr. Whittemore announced, parking the car. The three in the back opened their eyes slowly and yawned. "And right on time, too! It's just opening."

"We... we're at Wonderworld?" Ryou asked slowly, still shaking off the sleep.

"Yep! Now come on, we don't want the lines to be crowded," Mrs. Whittemore giggled, unbuckling and walking out of the car with a stretch. The three kids jumped out of the car as fast as possible, rushing to the park with their parents.

Smiling brightly, Amane hugged Ryou. "We're here, Ry! We're here!" she squealed as they approached the gate.

_**12:20 pm**_

"Bakura," Mrs. Whittemore began. "I'm trusting you with Ryou and Amane. Can you keep a watch over them while mum and dad go on this ride? Ryou and Amane are too small for it."

"Yes, mum! I promise to watch over them!" Bakura said, sending her a bright smile.

Mrs. Whittemore smiled back, patting her son on the head. "Good. Remember, don't leave this spot!"

"Mummy, why can't we go with you?" Amane asked curiously, eying the large ship that swung up and down. "It's just a boat ride!"

"Ane, if mummy says we can't, we can't!" Ryou said with a frown. "Don't worry, mummy! I'll help look after Ane, too!"

"That's our boys!" Mr. Whittemore said with a hearty laugh. He took his wife's hand and walked over to the line, leaving Bakura and his siblings behind.

"Amane, Ryou, let's go sit on that bench, alright?" Bakura said, taking their hands. Both nodded and followed him, sitting on either side of their big brother.

_**12:25 pm**_

"Baku..." Amane whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I have to go potty..."

"Eh?!" Bakura yelped, looking at her, then over at the giant boat. "Can you hold it until mum comes back? The boat's slowing down, see?"

Amane frowned, looking at the ground. "Alright..." And soon enough, Mr. and Mrs. Whittemore came back.

_**12:45 pm**_

"Bakura, since you've done a wonderful job at watching both Amane and Ryou, would you like to go around the park with them?" Mrs. Whittemore asked. "You're old enough to take care of yourself, right?"*****

"Alright, mum! I promise to keep watch over them!" Bakura said.

"Good, good! Then, we'll leave it to you!"

_**1:15 pm**_

"This is the best amusement park ever!" cheered Ryou. "Don't you think so too, Ane?" He turned, expecting his little sister to be there. Instead, there were only other adults and their kids, not his younger sibling. "A... Ane...?" he whispered, stopping.

Bakura, who was holding Ryou's hand, stopped as well. "Ryou? What's wrong?" he asked, looking where he was. "What happened to Amane?"

Ryou looked up at his brother, tears streaming down his cheeks. "A-Ane... w-we lost her! Baku, she's gone!" he cried, clinging on to him. "Sh-she was b-behind me a few m-minutes ago, a-and then... when I-I turned around... sh-she wasn't there!"

Gasping, Bakura took out the emergency cell phone his parents gave him; just in case something like this happened. _Or, at least, that was their excuse_, he thought bitterly. He dialed their parent's number, holding it up to his hear. "Come on, come on, come on..." he muttered impatiently, walking Ryou over to a bench. He sat down, Ryou sitting next to him, as the phone continued to ring.

"_We're sorry, but the number you have dialed-" _CLICK.

"Damnit!" Bakura cursed, scaring Ryou. "Come on, Ryou. We'll have to find Amane ourselves." He stood up, pulling Ryou along with him.

"Wh-what about mummy and daddy?" Ryou sniffled. "Where are they? Are they coming?"

"Don't worry about those two, Ryou. Worry about them later," Bakura seethed, still pulling his brother. He went around the park asking random people about their sister. All of them have denied to have seen her. That is, except for one.

_**2:00 pm**_

"Yeah, I've seen a little girl like that. It's not every day you see kids with white hair, like you two," the grown woman said, holding onto her own kid's hand. "But, she was with her parents. Are you lost? Are you perhaps her brothers?"

"What did these _parents_ look like?" Bakura demanded, ignoring the woman's questions. Ryou whimpered behind him, wondering why his brother was acting like this. He never had before been like this before!

"Well, the mum had brown, short hair, and the dad had white hair, like yours," the woman said. "Are they your parents, too?"

"Where are they? Do you know?" Bakura asked, ignoring her questions once more.

"Well, I ran into them as they were leaving," the woman said. She gasped. "Don't tell me they forgot about you kids!"

"Mummy and daddy would never forget about us!" Ryou protested. "They love us! They would never-" He stopped himself as he saw his brother trembling.

"Ryou, let's go," Bakura whispered. He whipped around and ran off, pulling Ryou behind him.

"Wait!" the woman said, but it was too late. The two had disappeared in the crowd.

They were abandoned. And only Bakura knew why.

* * *

**A/N: ALRIGHT. How'd you like the first chapter? Please leave a review!**

**_*_I bet you're confused about why on EARTH would a mother leave her kids like that. In short, I've made it so they're only acting that they care. Mighty good actors, too. If you've ever watched Mirai Nikki, the part where the parents leave the girl at Tokyo Tower? It's like that. Except they aren't all that age. And Bakura knows about their act, and is keeping up his own act for Ryou and Amane's sake. In short, I'm an evil person. Hooray!**


	2. Chapter 1: Humans Are Lonesome Beings

**~A lone fanfic author is seen, typing as she waits for feedback on her fanfiction.~**

**A/N: That was stupid and so am I.**

**SO FUN FACT: While trying to decide on Bakura's last name with my friend ivel, I asked him for a British-sounding last name. You know what he said? Pimbleton. I couldn't stop laughing I swear. I mean, just imagine! _BAKURA PIMBLETON!_ And holy crap I was seriously considering it before he came up with Whittemore. But yeah that's all I have to say.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Marik is probably a bit OOC, but that will be explained in due time, I promise. Same with Rishid.**

**2) This story will probably start off a bit slow! But do not fret, thiefshipping will come eventually.**

**3) Sometimes it will alternate between Bakura and Marik, like in the beginning. This is only to get the story felt for, and explain some things. I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but it's necessary.  
**

**4) Any similarities to any other fics are NOT on purpose. If it seems like there is a similarity, it must be one I read and left an impression on me, but I _DO NOT_ mean to copy!**

**5) Since this story takes place in America (though I know I'm using Rishid's Japanese name, only cuz I'm used to reading it as that), classes are selectable and can be mixed up with different grades. For example, sophomores and seniors can take the same classes, if need be.**

**6) Bakura is a senior, while Marik and Ryou are both juniors. This is only because he failed a year, thanks to their situation.**

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

**Humans Are Lonesome Beings**

* * *

A pounding on the door woke him up. "Marik, get up! Or you'll be late for your first day of school!" the feminine voice of the boy's sister yelled.

Groaning, Marik sat up, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, alright! I'm coming, Ishizu!" he called as his sister once again pounded on the door.

"Good! You have a total of fifteen minutes before your bus gets here!" Ishizu huffed, walking away from the door. Marik grumbled to himself as he got dressed in his usual lavender shirt - but making sure it was the long-sleeved one that didn't show his midriff, since it was winter after all - and favorite jeans. After checking over himself in the mirror, he made his way to the bathroom, making quick work of doing the usual morning duties; brush your hair, brush your teeth, put on deodorant, etc. He rushed downstairs, only to be met with the proud gaze of his adopted older brother, Rishid.

"Rishid! You're here!" Marik exclaimed, enwrapping his brother in a bear hug. Rishid had an apartment of his own. He had moved to Domino City about a year or so before Ishizu and Marik had.

Rishid let out a light laugh. "I wouldn't miss your first day at your new school for anything, Marik. And you know that better than anyone, right?" he asked with a grin.

Marik grinned back, releasing Rishid from his grasp. "Of course," he said. After a long pause between them, he spoke up once more. "Any word from-" he grimaced "-father?"

"Don't worry about him right now, Marik," said Ishizu, walking out of the kitchen. She handed Marik his school bag and lunch. "Do you want your jacket? It's a bit chilly out."

"Oh! Yeah, thanks Ishizu," Marik said, rushing over to the closet beneath the stairs and yanking out his favorite black jacket. He walked back over to the front door, throwing his backpack over his shoulder. "Well, I'm off!"

"Have a nice first day, Marik. I hope you make lots of friends!" Rishid said, waving him off with a smile. Marik nodded with a grin, opening the door and walking out.

The door shut. Rishid and Ishizu exchanged glances. "You weren't lying, were you?" Ishizu inquired. "About father?"

Rishid's expression hardened. "I promise on my life. I have heard nothing from him. I presume you are having the same luck?" he asked.

Ishizu gave her brother a small smile. "Yes. I can only hope he stays away this time," she sighed.

"Only time will tell, sister. Only time will tell..."

* * *

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

CRASH!

An excited whitette opened his eyes, wincing from the pain that came from slamming his hand on his alarm clock. _I sure will be feeling that later... _he thought with a frown. Slowly, the boy sat up. Looking at the time, he sighed. "Guess I better wake Bakura up!" he exclaimed, jumping out of the warmth of his bed. Ryou hastily got dressed in a striped t-shirt and slightly worn jeans. With a grin, he exited the room and walked to the other side of the hall. He knocked on the door. "Bakura! It's time for school!" he called. A tired groan was his reply. Huffing, Ryou slammed open the door and stomped over to Bakura's bed. With a swift movement, he ripped the covers off of Bakura, who squirmed at the loss of heat.

"Do you have to do this every day, Ryou?" Bakura asked with a yawn. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Ryou smiled at him. "Only until you get yourself up for school Bakura!" he said happily. "Now get dressed! We don't want to be late!"

Bakura scowled at his brother. "Only _you_ would be so specific about this," he said, yawning once more. "No normal high schooler would even _want_ to go to school."

Walking over to the door, Ryou flashed him a smile. "Well, we aren't exactly normal high schoolers, are we?" he joked.

Bakura got the hint, and his scowl deepened. "Yeah, just go on and make breakfast or whatever," he grumbled. Ryou gave him a slight nod and exited the room, softly closing the door behind him and deciding to go ahead and do his morning routine. Heaving a frustrated sigh, Bakura slid out of his bed and over to the closet. He put on a simple black long-sleeved shirt with no specific design and dark jeans. The smell of sizzling bacon wafted to his room, but knowing Ryou, he wouldn't let him eat without brushing his teeth first. Bakura never really understood this. Why not brush your teeth _after_ you ate breakfast? It didn't make sense to do it beforehand.

In the kitchen, Ryou was humming as he set about cooking breakfast. In the lonesome family of two siblings, Ryou had gladly taken upon the chores while Bakura "earned" the money. If you asked Ryou, he was pretty sure the money they got wasn't obtained through fair means. But, Bakura hadn't been caught yet, and there were no signs of him slipping up yet.

Just as Ryou split the bacon on two plates, Bakura walked out and sat at the table. "So. Bacon and, what else?" Bakura asked.

Ryou let out a light laugh. "Well, this is all I had time to cook. There's some orange juice in the fridge," he said, putting Bakura's plate in front of him and sitting next to his brother. He gazed forlornly at the two empty seats in front of the brothers. "Hey, Bakura..." he began.

Bakura looked over at his little brother questioningly, chewing on a piece of bacon. "Hm?" he hummed, urging him to continue.

"Do you... ever get lonely in here?" Ryou asked, picking up a piece of bacon and chewing on it. He looked over at his sibling, who had tensed.

"No, Ryou," Bakura forced out. He gave his brother a smirk, the closest thing he could produce to a smile. "You're all I need, remember? I'm fine with just the two of us."

Ryou frowned, picking up his next piece of bacon. "If you say so," he said skeptically, not entirely believing Bakura's words. Once the two finished, Ryou put their plates in the sink and Bakura downed a cup of orange juice. As he put the juice back in the fridge, he grimaced.

"You're right. We're gonna need to restock," Bakura grumbled, shutting the fridge door. "I'll do that later, after school."

Ryou gave him a look. "Will you promise to do it with your _earned_ money? And not steal?" he asked, picking up his backpack and walking over to the door.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see," Bakura said, waving him off with a grin, picking up his own bag. Ryou's frown deepened, but he decided not to say anything. The two exited their apartment, making their way to school.

* * *

School, Ryou had noticed, was buzzing with a rumor; not one of those bullshit rumors about who was doing who, either. One of his friends, Yugi, had noticed the smaller Whittemore and walked over. "Have you heard, Ryou?" he exclaimed with beaming eyes. "There's a new student!"

Ryou gasped. "Really? A foreign exchange student? Or just someone from another state?" he asked, beaming back at his friend.

"A foreign exchange student! He's been to multiple countries, but he's originally from Egypt. Or, so I heard, I mean," Yugi said with a grin.

"Wow... I can't wait to meet him!" Ryou squeaked, then turned to face his brother. "Isn't that right, Bakura?" But there came no reply, as his brother had walked off by himself. Ryou frowned.

Yugi smiled apologetically at Ryou. "I'm sorry, Ryou... I know that Bakura doesn't like me, and that you usually spend you mornings with him..." he said, guilt evident in his tone.

"No, no! Don't worry about it, Yugi!" Ryou gasped. "But I should go find him, before he flips." He rushed past Yugi, waving back at him. "Bye! See you at lunch!" Yugi simply waved back with a smile.

It didn't take long for Ryou to find his sulking brother at his locker. Bakura scowled at him. "Took you long enough," he growled, putting his hands in his pockets. "C'mon, let's go to class." Ryou nodded, following his brother to their first class together, and Bakura's least favorite subject: Math. "I hope we have a substitute teacher today," Bakura grumbled, taking his seat in the back, right next to the window.

"I agree," Ryou said, sitting next to Bakura. "Hey, Bakura, do you think the new guy's gonna have this class with us? It'd be super cool if he did!"

Bakura scoffed. "What, so you could make more buddy buddies?" he sneered. He was already in a bad mood because of what Ryou asked this morning; he didn't need any pestering.

Ryou fidgeted in his seat. "S-sorry, Bakura..." he whispered, looking down at the desk. "I just wish you'd make more of an effort to make friends..." He was cut off when the short, stern looking teacher coming into the classroom. Everything fell silent.

The teacher, whose name was Ms. Ketchburg, cleared her throat. "Now, I know you all have heard of the new student," she said, her voice high pitched and nasally. Whispers broke out among the class, but stopped when she slammed a ruler on her desk. "No talking!" she hissed. Clearing her throat, she continued. "As I was saying, I'm sure you've heard of the new student. I won't waste much time with formalities. Mr. Ishtar, please come in!" And in came one of the most hottest guys Bakura Whittemore had ever laid eyes on, with gorgeous lilac eyes and beautiful tanned skin. Whispers broke out again, mostly from the girls. The new kid fidgeted at the stares. "Silence!" Ms. Ketchburg squealed. "Mr. Ishtar, introduce yourself!"

The student cleared his throat. "My name is Marik Ishtar," he began; his voice, Bakura noticed, was slightly high, but with manly undertones. He decided he liked it. "I've come here from Indonesia, thought my home country is Egypt. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." The girls in the class literally swooned.

Ms. Ketchburg scowled. "Alright, enough. Mr. Ishtar, you will sit in front of Bakura Whittemore, all the way to the right, second row from the back," she commanded. Marik sighed and made his way to the seat. He gave Bakura a small smile, but received a glare in return. Ms. Ketchburg huffed. "Now, take out your homework from the weekend and your math book. Flip to page 114, and do problems 18-27. Chop, chop, now!" The students rushed to follow her orders, scared of the consequences. Ironically enough, even Bakura, who was known for disobedience.

Ms. Ketchburg's classes were _always_ self study. All they did was work sheets, refer to the references in the book on how to do the problems, then get assigned a ton of homework. It's easy enough to say that Ms. Ketchburg is one of the most hated teachers in the entire school. So, once the bell rang, it wasn't very surprising to see the students rushing out of the classroom. Marik, who was a bit flustered from the rushed crowd, seemed to get out last.

"Hey there!" a soft voice greeted him. Marik turned to see who he thought was, at first, Bakura. But upon closer inspection, he knew it couldn't be the boy who glared at him. "I'm sorry for my brother in class today. He doesn't do well with people," the whitette said with a smile, apparently referring to the glare.

Marik grinned at the other. "Don't worry about it. I didn't take much offense," he said, waving it off.

"Really?" the boy beamed. "Oh, that's good! My name's Ryou Whittemore." He held out his hand, which Marik took and shook. "I know I said it before, but the person you're sitting in front of is my brother. He's a bit intense, but he's a good guy deep down."

"Are you talking about me, Ryou?" a gruff voice growled behind Marik. He spun around, coming nearly face-to-face to Bakura. It was then Marik noticed the British accent the two brothers had. "Let's just hurry up and get to the next bloody class. I'm not too fond of Mr. Burdart, either."

Ryou grinned sheepishly at his brother. "Y-yeah... Marik, what class do you have next?" he asked.

Marik blinked, looking down at the paper with his class schedule. "Huh... it seems I have Burdart, too!" he said with a grin.

"Oh, cool!" Ryou exclaimed. "But let's hurry, the late bell will ring in about two minutes!" He glanced up at the clock on the wall. The two rushed to class, but Bakura decided to lag behind. Science, also, wasn't his forte.

* * *

The other two classes were different. Ryou and Marik shared one, which was Public Speaking, while Bakura had another, Gym. The one after that, English, Bakura and Marik had together, while Ryou had Gym. Marik had to introduce himself in each class, which still embarrassed him, but it wasn't as bad as the other students continuously bugging him about Egypt and wherever else he lived. Usually, it was Ryou who came to his rescue. But, after English and going into lunch, it seemed Bakura was his savior. It struck Marik as slightly odd when the girls had scampered at the sight of the older Whittemore. All it took was a glare, it seemed.

In the few classes that they had together, Marik had learned a bit about Bakura. (Though, he wasn't exactly sure why he was so interested. _Maybe it's because of the way Ryou spoke about him?_ he had tried to reason with himself. He couldn't think of anything else, without it going down into a forbidden zone, so stuck with that.) So far, he could first tell that Bakura liked to be on his own, unless he was with Ryou. Second, almost the whole school was frightened to even talk to him, much less address him to each other. (Marik had thought it would've been a bit lonely, but after seeing Bakura nearly getting into a fist fight, he decided otherwise.) Lastly, he noticed he really liked to write, or doodle. He never got the chance to see. When he inquired the older Whittemore about it, he told Marik to 'piss off and go drown in a bloody puddle.' Whatever that meant.

So, when lunch rolled around, and Bakura strolled up and saved him from his obviously new fan club, Marik was (for some reason, pleasantly) surprised. "Thanks so much!" Marik breathed out in relief. "They wouldn't leave me alone!"

Bakura scowled. "Don't mention it, kid. I'm just here because Ryou wants you to eat with him and his friends. He told me to tell you, since he apparently got bloody caught up in something with a teacher," he sneered.

Marik simply blinked at him, ignoring the part where Bakura called him a kid. "Do... you not eat with your brother?" he asked curiously.

Bakura's scowl softened into a more thoughtful look for a split second. He looked at Marik, sizing him up with a glare. Marik, not used to this kind of scrutiny, fidgeted a bit. "No," he said simply. "I don't." And with that, Bakura walked off.

"Wait!" Marik called out, but Bakura was already lost in the crowd. A panting came up behind him, along with a stream of apologizes.

"I-I'm sorry I'm late!" Ryou gasped, doubled over as Marik turned to him. "Mrs. Brennen was scolding me about my Gym grade..." He stood up, flashing Marik a smile. When he didn't get a reply, he shot Marik a worried look. "Bakura talked to you, right? Like I asked him to?"

"Oh, uh... Yeah. He did," Marik said, snapping out of his daze. He began walking beside Ryou as the shorter male led him to the cafeteria. "I meant to ask, why does Bakura not eat lunch with you?"

Ryou perked up at this. "Oh, um... Bakura, he... It's hard to explain!" he stammered, trying to find the right words. "He doesn't get along with people, and it usually get's him in trouble. That's why the whole school is scared of him." Marik nodded at this, remembering when he scared off his new fans. "The reason he doesn't eat with me is because I eat with others. See, he got into a fight with my friend Joey over something, and now they don't like him very much. It's... difficult, being in the middle, but I've gotten used to it!"

Marik hummed in thought as they entered the cafeteria. "'Ey! Ryou, over here!" a guy with poofy blonde hair waved over to the duo. Ryou smiled and walked over to the table, sitting next to a small boy with tri-colored hair. Marik cautiously sat next to Ryou. "Woah, you're da new kid, right?" the blonde asked, his voice heavy with a Brooklyn accent.

"Yeah. I'm Marik," Marik introduced with a charming smile.

"Ehe, nice ta meetcha! Th' name's Joey Wheeler, but just call me Joey!" he said, throwing Marik a playful grin.

_So this is the guy Bakura got into a fight with..._ Marik thought, gazing at Joey for a second before looking at Ryou expectantly.

"Ah, right! Marik, these are my friends Tristan, Tea, Yugi, and Joey," Ryou introduced, gesturing to each of the friends, who greeted him back.

Tea grinned, leaning over to Marik. "Hey, hey! Is it true you're from Egypt?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Marik said. "Though I moved here from Indonesia. I tend to move a lot."

"Oh? Why's that?" Tristan asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Oh, this and that," Marik answered vaguely. The silence following seemed a slight bit awkward, which was cut open but Yugi's cough.

"So, how are you liking school so far, Marik?" he asked with a smile.

For some reason, Marik's thoughts traveled to Bakura. Mentally pushing said thoughts out of the way, he smiled back. "It's good. Though I have that Gods awful teacher first period," he groaned. "Uh... what was her name again...?"

"You don't mean Ms. Ketchburg, do ya?" Joey asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah! That's her!" Marik exclaimed. "She's a real bitch, really. Didn't like her from the first moment I laid my eyes on her."

"Tell me about it! She's got a stick wedged so far up, it could be comin' outta her mouth!" Joey laughed.

Yugi turned green from the visual. "Urgh... Joey, don't make those kinds of things up. I feel sick..." he gagged. Everyone else laughed.

The rest of lunch passed with various joking around, laughter coming this way and that._ Who knew school could be this fun?_ Marik wondered as Joey began to tell another funny story. But, of course all good things come to and end far too quickly, for the bell rang. "See you guys later," Marik said, walking next to Ryou.

"Marik, what's your next class?" Ryou asked once they got to Marik's locker.

"Psychology, with Ms. Bowersox," Marik said, reading off his paper once he took it out. Ryou gasped beside him. "What's wrong?" Marik asked, turning to face him.

"Bakura takes that class, too. It's... one of his favorite subjects," Ryou murmured, looking at Marik with a strange look. Suddenly, he smiled widely. "Here, Bakura's coming now. Hey, Bakura!"

Bakura scowled at his brother. "What, Ryou? I'm on my way to Psych," he growled.

"Exactly!" Ryou said happily. "Marik's taking the same class! I have to go to World History now. Can I count on you to take Marik with you?" Before Bakura got a chance to say anything, Ryou cheered, walking in the opposite direction.

Bakura stared, dumbfounded, at his little brother. _Oh _hell_ to the bloody _no_!_ he growled to himself. _He is _not _doing what I think he is..._ Nevertheless, he turned to Marik with a glare. "Come on then. You don't know anyone else in Psych." He turned, walking off.

"R-right," Marik stuttered, rushing after him.

* * *

**A/N: Hm... I think that's enough for now! The Psych class, overall, plays a big part in this story, so I'll leave it to the next chapter. Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Into An Unknown Territory

**A/N: Wowie wowzers! Thank you guys for the feedback! I was literally up til 5 am working on that chapter all at once. I've decided to put a hint or two of thiefshipping in this chapter. A little nudge, nothing much.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO, or anything else referenced. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) I'm actually basing the Psych class on the one I had in high school. (Though, I did change some things around.) God, it was so much fun. I may, though, get a few things wrong, since it's been a while since I started the class, so I can't remember much. I'll get out my notes eventually, though, and make some changes. I'll announce when I do. Maybe. Probably. We'll see.**

**2) I've changed some names around about famous things. For example, you'll notice Hunger Games has been changed to Starving Games, and Doctor Who is Doctor What, etc. Quite brilliant if I do say so myself.**

**3) There are only 6 classes in a school day, plus lunch.**

**4) Ryou plays the violin. It just seems to fit.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

**Into An Unknown Territory**

* * *

Right when he walked into the door, Marik knew he would love this class. There were quotes by famous psychologists, not to mention even the famous author _John Green!_ Ms. Bawersox's desk was in a far back corner, on the left. She had little trinkets, such as several hour glasses, a fake skull, a plushie model of the human brain, and other various things. There was a red poster on the wall next to the door saying, 'Keep Calm and Psych On' in white letters. On the other side of the door was a Starving Games movie poster, and next to that a smaller poster advertising the famous TV show Doctor What. Ms. Bawersox also let him go ahead and sit down – believe it or not, next to Bakura – without having to introduce himself.

And, once the class started, it was even better.

Ms. Bawersox was amazing, a goddess compared to the other teachers he had. She was a young, sweet, and an overall brilliant woman, really. She told Marik to go at his own pace, and to take his time catching up, since they weren't that far into the semester. Currently, they were studying the human brain, and it's impact on the psychological aspect of life. When Ms. Bawersox gave them book work to do, which was a rarity as commented by some classmates next to him, she checked up on her new student. "So, any problems so far?" she asked Marik, looking at his notes and copies of the past power points.

Marik shook his head. "No, not yet. I've studied a bit of psychology when I was in Europe a few years back. It kinda stuck with me since, I guess," he commented with a chuckle. "Before I had to move again, we had just started on the dreams portion." He glanced up at Ms. Bawersox. "Speaking of which, when _do_ we learn about dreams?"

Ms. Bawersox smiled at him. "Dreams is our fifth lesson of the year. Since this is a year round class, it should be in a couple of months or so. Since the brain is only our second, well, you can do the rest," she explained. Marik gave her a slight nod. Glancing at his neighbor, who was working quietly next to him, she leaned down. "Any problems with Bakura?" she asked in a whisper.

Marik looked at her with a confused expression. "None. Why?" he asked.

Ms. Bawersox sent Bakura a knowing glance, which went unnoticed. "No reason," she said, standing up fully. "I'll leave you to your notes. Papers don't grade themselves you know." With a laugh, she walked off to her desk. Confused, Marik tried to ignore what that was about and got back to copying the notes.

"So, you lived in Europe?" Bakura asked, putting down his pencil. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh, not bothering to look at the Egyptian.

Marik blinked at him, sitting up from his crouched state. "Yeah, I did. But only for a year. We ran into some... problems, then had to move again," he explained. "Why do you ask?"

Bakura smirked. "Where in Europe?" was his answer.

"What?" Marik questioned, frowning.

"Where?" Bakura repeated, sending Marik a quick glance. "I'm sure you noticed from my accent, as it's not hard to miss, but I'm from there as well. England, to be specific."

Marik thought on the question a bit, frowning at his desk. "I lived in France. Again, only for a year, so I don't know much about the entire area," he said. "Again, why do you ask?" He turned to face Bakura, who was hunched over his binder.

"No reason," Bakura responded vaguely. He tore out a piece of lined paper, picked up his pencil, and began to write. With a sigh, Marik decided he wouldn't get any answers out of the Brit. So, he began to work on his notes again.

After all was copied (it honestly didn't take long; it was only the first whole lesson), Marik turned to Bakura once more. The whitette was still writing on his paper with an elegant grace about him. "You write a lot," he observed.

Bakura stopped his movements. He looked at Marik, slightly surprised. "What?"

"You write a lot, I've noticed," Marik repeated. He flushed slightly under Bakura's scrutiny, suddenly very interested in the scratches on his desk. "Both in Science and English, you kept writing, even after you finished your work."

"This again? Why are you bringing it back up?" Bakura asked; Marik could practically hear the smirk that played onto his lips. He faced Marik, propping his head up on his hand, elbow resting on the desk. "Are you interested in me?"

Marik's cheeks burst into a deep red. "What? No! I barely know you!" he hissed quickly, glaring at the Brit next to him. Bakura rose an eyebrow at him, humming a bit before turning back to his paper. Marik scowled, opening his binder and tearing out a piece of paper as well. Picking up his pencil, he began to doodle until the bell for the next class rang. He had completely forgotten about how interested he was in Bakura's writing.

The last class of the day, none of the three had class together. Ryou had his Orchestra class, Bakura had boring US History, and Marik had Art. Unfortunately, Marik's Art teacher made him introduce himself. He decided right away he didn't like the old woman. Thankfully, the day had to end at some point, and students rejoiced the end of the day. As he filed out the door with his fellow classmates, Marik heard someone call out to him.

"Hey, Marik!" Ryou said, running up to the Egyptian. "I didn't know you took Art at the end of the day! Orchestra is right up the hall." He gestured to a door they passed by with a smile. "How's your first day been?"

For some reason, Bakura's words rang through Marik's head. "_Are you interested in me?_" Shaking the thoughts away, he looked at Ryou with a nervous smile. "It was great!" he said. "Well, minus all the teachers making me introduce myself. It gets old once you've done it most of your life." Marik let out a sigh, looking at the ground.

Ryou gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know what you mean. When Bakura and I moved here, we had to introduce ourselves, too. Well, it was mainly me, since Bakura refused to talk," he explained. "By the way, what other countries have you been to?"

"I've been to a few. Obviously, I first lived in Egypt, where I grew up until I was around nine. Then we moved to somewhere in Russia and stayed there until I was twelve. After that, we moved to France for a year, then Indonesia for a half a year, and now here I am in America!" Marik explained. "I'm gonna say now, though, I don't know much about the countries. We were... secluded from society, you could say. I still went to school, though."

"Really?" Ryou asked, giving him a curious gaze. "Why's that? Being secluded by society, I mean."

Marik bit his lip. "Personal reasons," he answered vaguely. Ryou's confusion only increased, but decided that he shouldn't press on the subject. "Bakura told me you were from England. Is it as gray as they say?"

Ryou tensed. "Uh... yeah... gray enough," he said nervously, letting out a slight laugh. "We... moved when Bakura was fifteen, and I was thirteen. Personal reasons."

"Wait, you guys are two years apart? But aren't we juniors? What's he still doing in school?" Marik inquired with a thoughtful look.

"Oh, well, when we first moved here... Bakura wasn't exactly in tip-top shape. He got held back a year," Ryou explained. "It was... a tough time."

Marik nodded twice as they arrived at Ryou's locker. "Yeah, I understand," he said. "Anyways, I'll be off then. See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Marik!" Ryou said with a smile, watching as Marik walked off.

"So, you made friend's with the new kid, huh?" a gruff voice said from behind him. Ryou gasped and spun around, facing his brother. Bakura regarded him with a smirk, watching as Ryou let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare me like that Bakura!" Ryou grumbled, opening his locker. He quickly packed his things and swung his bag over his shoulder. "Marik told me you told him we used to live in England." He faced Bakura with a sly smirk. "How'd that come up?"

Bakura scowled at him. "It just did. Now hurry up and let's go. I'll drive us home," he growled, walking off. With a shout, Ryou stumbled after him.

* * *

As he rode the bus to his home, Marik decided that his first day of school was better than he could have ever imagined. Unlike in previous instances, he was not outcasted and made fun of by his peers. Instead, others actually talked to him. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he waited for his stop. _If I could stay here for the rest of my life, that would be wonderful..._ Marik thought.

After a few moments of pondering that sentence, his eyes snapped open and he say up straight. _No. I can't get too attached, _Marik reasoned._ Father will come for us. He'll find us and we'll have to move again._ He held his head with his hand, leaning over slightly. _I can't get too close. I won't get too close. _As the bus came to a stop, he realized it was his. Standing up, he shrugged his backpack on and walked out of the bus. _I won't get caught up again. Never._

"Marik! Welcome back, brother!" Ishizu's calming voice welcomed him into the house. "How was your first day? Did you make any friends?" She led her brother into the kitchen, sitting him down as she went to make something to eat.

Marik gave his sister a weak smile. "Yeah. It was alright, though I didn't really meet anyone interesting," he lied. "Is Rishid here? Or did he leave already?"

"Welcome home, Marik," Rishid said, walking into the kitchen. "No one bullied you, right? I know how first days usually go..."

Marik let out a laugh, hinted with nervousness. "No, no one bullied me. I didn't actually converse with anyone, really," he lied once more. Rishid sat across from him, giving him a skeptical look. Marik didn't notice. "Surprisingly enough, they left me alone. It was pretty weird. Normally one would be driven with curiosity, don't you think? Human nature, really!" He let out another fake laugh. "I'm glad no one did, though. Who needs friends, right? I mean-"

"Marik. I want you to know you have a tendency to ramble when you get nervous," Rishid said calmly, observing his brother closely. "You're not... lying, are you?"

"No!" Marik answered, much too quickly for his tastes. His cheeks tinted pink. "No. Not at all. I would never lie to you guys. I promise." Oh Gods, did it hurt him to say this. He was lying through his teeth and he hated it. _I won't have them worry about me. I won't,_ Marik repeated in his mind. _I won't._

Rishid hummed softly as Ishizu put down a bowl of salad for each brother. "Marik, my brother, you do not have to worry about father. You are a young man. You need friends. Please, do not lie on our behalf," Ishizu said, taking a seat next to Rishid. "Now, tell us about your day. Rishid and I wish to hear all about it."

Marik couldn't suppress his grin as he looked down at the table. "Alright, alright! If you wanna be so pushy about it, then fine!" he relented, looking up at his siblings. "Okay, so here's what happened..." And he rushed into the story of his first day at Domino High. He told him all about Ryou, and his delinquent brother Bakura. He told them about Joey, Tristan, Yugi, and Tea, and how him and Ryou had lunch with them. He told them how much he hated most of his teachers. He even told them about his Psych class, though decided to leave out the part where Bakura and him had their... moment, if you could even call it that. _"Are you interested in me?"_ rang through his head once more; he ignored it.

Ishizu was positively beaming at Marik as he finished his recap. "How positively delightful, Marik! Oh, I'm so happy you've made friends!" she said with a huge smile. "You simply _must_ introduce us to Ryou!"

"Huh? Just Ryou?" Marik asked, pushing away his empty bowl. "Why not Bakura?" The question took Marik by surprise as it left his mouth. _What?_ he wondered, paling at the implications. _Why did I ask that?_

The question also seemed to surprise both Ishizu and Rishid. "Well... the way you were talking about him, I assumed you didn't like him very much," Ishizu explained slowly. "But... if you want to invite him over as well, I suppose it would be fine..."

"No! No. No, no no. I won't invite him over," Marik said quickly. He let out a nervous laugh, scolding himself. _Idiot! Why did you say that? _"He's a jerk. You guys wouldn't like him." He stood up quickly, grabbing his bowl and going to put it in the sink. He picked up his backpack, which was next to his chair. "Well, I have homework to do! Bye!" And he ran off upstairs. Ishizu and Rishid exchanged incredulous looks, wonder what in the world _that_ was all about.

Once Marik made it up to his bedroom, he threw his backpack on the ground and plopped on his bed. In the silence, his mind went into overdrive. _Stupid Bakura and his stupid questions and just why the hell did I have to overreact like that!?_ He tossed on his bed with a whine. _This whole entire ordeal is stupid. I'll forget about that conversation, easy peasy. It's only been the first day. I'm only overreacting because, for once, someone was nice to me on my first day, even if it was someone else. I'm just overemotional. It's nothing to do with Bakura. _He turned onto his back, glaring up at the ceiling. _I'm going to forget and all of that work on my homework._ He sat up, walking over to his backpack. _Do my homework. Push it to the back of my mind. _He unzipped it, taking out his math workbook. He heaved a sigh.

_I can't wait for this day to be over with..._

* * *

"Marik!" Ishizu called up. "Marik, come down! I have to ask a favor!"

Marik opened his eyes slowly, picking his head up off his desk. _I must have drifted off... _he decided, yawning. "I'm coming, sis!" he yelled back down as Ishizu called him again. He stood up and stretched, back cracking. He made his way downstairs, noting the growing darkness outside. _I must've been out for a while..._ He was greeted with his sisters smile at the bottom of the steps.

"Will you come with me to the store? Since we only got here a few days ago, we're running low on food," Ishizu explained. Marik let out another yawn and nodded. "Were you taking a nap? I was beginning to think you snuck off somewhere."

"Where would I sneak off to?" Marik scoffed. "I only nodded off doing all that boring math homework. By the way, what time is it?"

Ishizu frowned. "It's 6 pm. The store closes at 11 pm, and it's not that far away. Only about a 15 minute drive. Now let's get going," she said impatiently, walking out of the door.

Marik sighed, walking after her. "Did Rishid go home?" he asked as they climbed into the car.

"Yes; he said he had important business to attend to and had to leave," Ishizu explained. She smiled slightly at Marik's depressed expression. "Don't worry, though. He said he'll visit again tomorrow."

Marik beamed up at her as she backed out of the driveway. "Really? Did he say what time?" he asked. "I want to spend as much time as possible with him before we have to move again."

Ishizu tensed, putting the car into drive. "We won't move this time, Marik," she said, flashing him a smile. "Rishid and I will make sure of that fact. Do not worry about father. We will make sure he does not lay a hand on you."

Marik's smile widened, letting his mind wander for the remainder of the car ride. _Not moving... _He looked down at his lap, trying to contain his excitement. _That means I can be better friends with Ryou. We could maybe even hang out! And Bakura- _He froze, forcing his brain to stop thinking.

"We're here, Marik," Ishizu said as she parked the car. Marik nodded, jumping out of the car along with his sister. As they walked to the baskets, Ishizu turned to Marik. "Would you like to shop separately? I can shop for us both, and you can pick out the stuff you'd like."

"Oh, sure!" Marik said, pulling out his own basket and rolling it to the entrance. "When should we meet up?"

Ishizu smiled and tossed him something. Marik caught it easily, blinking down at the item. "A present from Rishid. He said he'd take care of the bills."

Marik gaped at her, then stared down at his first ever iPhone. With a large smile, he pocketed it and nodded. "I'll call you when I'm ready then!" he said and rushed into the store. Ishizu watched after him with a smile, pulling out her own basket and following.

As Marik browsed the food aisles, his mind began to wander again. _Let's get this straight, Marik. You are _not_ going to talk to Bakura when you're alone with him. Only when Ryou is around, alright? _He nodded to himself, content with this decision. _And if you run into him, just ignore him. It'll be easy enough. He says hey? You say nay. Easy peasy._

"Marik Ishtar?" a voice said behind him.

Marik stiffened. He knew that voice. Of course he knew that voice. It was the voice of the person he was just thinking about; the voice that had said _"Are you interested in me?"_ like it was nothing at all! Marik turned, coming person to person with Bakura Whittemore, the last person he wanted to see. And only one sentence ran through his head as those brown eyes pierced his.

_The Gods damned friggen irony!_

* * *

**A/N: Hehehehehehehe oh Marik you silly. I won't go into a monologue here, I'll just say a couple of facts. I'm not gonna have Marik jump into a whole _OH SHIT I HAVE A CRUSH ON THIS DUDE_ thing so easily, I promise. He's trying to push those thoughts away, cuz he knows they're dangerous. He's simply convincing himself into denial. Bakura may or may not be a different case.**

**Please leave me a review and tell me what ya think!**


	4. Chapter 3: It's A Small And Deadly World

**A/N: Woah, I'm sorry this took so long! I was busy with my birthday, then I got New Leaf, and have been playing that. Plus I had recently gotten Minecraft, so I've been playing that too. And there's side anime's I'm watching. I'm also translating doujin's. Life sure is hectic!**

**IMPORTANT: I've made small changes in previous chapters, but nothing too big. Feel free to go back and reread some; up to you.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Only this story.**

**NOTES:**

**1) Bakura may be a bit OOC because I honestly have no idea how to write him IC. He'll probably seem more like Tsukiyomi Ikuto (from Shugo Chara!) than actual Bakura. Sorry.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

**It's A Small And Deadly World**

* * *

Marik's mind had stopped working once his eyes rested on the Brit in front of him. He froze in place, a box of pasta in his suspended hand._ What's he doing here?! Even after I just decided to not talk to him alone! _he hissed to himself. Bakura rose an eyebrow at him, slightly confused as to why the Egyptian was staring at him like he'd grown a third eye. The slight movement jerked Marik out of his daze and he quickly turned, putting the box in his cart. "Why are you here?" Marik asked, the words slipping out of his mouth. _Gods damnit, I'm not supposed to talk to him! We went over this Marik!_

Bakura snorted. "Shopping. Why else would I be at a grocery store?" he answered, voice thick with sarcasm.

Marik felt heat rise to his face, embarrassed by his stupid question. "Right. Well then, I gotta go shop. So, I'll see you in school tomorrow," he said quickly, beginning to walk off. He hoped with all his might Bakura wouldn't notice he was trying to avoid talking to him.

"Hey, hey, why are you running away from me?" Bakura questioned, following after him. "I don't _scare_ you, do I?" He smirked when Marik stopped and flipped to face him.

"Me? Scared of you? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Marik scoffed. "I'm on a time limit; Ishizu is expecting me to hurry." It was a lie, of course. But, he needed Bakura off his back before he did something stupid and give the Brit ideas Marik really didn't want him to have.

However, it seemed luck was increasingly against him at this moment as Bakura caught his lie. "That's bullshit. I heard you talking to Ryou about your sister in Science today," he said with a grin, surprising Marik. "From the way I heard it, it didn't seem like she'd be the impatient type." He walked closer to the Egyptian, making the other back away some. "So what's the rush, then?"

Marik inwardly cursed as his back bumped the cart. Having enough of this teasing, he decided to give Bakura a taste of his own medicine. "Hmmm, so you were listening to me and Ryou, huh? I didn't know you were so intent on getting to know me," he hummed. Bakura froze, looking at Marik with a passive expression. _And now the finishing blow!_ Marik thought deviously. "Are you, perhaps, _interested_ in me, Bakura?"

A smirk crawled up on Bakura's face, and Marik knew instantly that his plan had backfired. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," he answered vaguely, making Marik's cheeks burn despite himself. He honestly couldn't tell whether the Brit was messing with him or not. Bakura advanced upon him again, cornering him against the cart. He leaned in, smirk turning into a feral grin. "Why do you want to know? You seem curious enough about me, with the way you kept glancing at me in English. Not to mention when you talked to me in Psych. Be honest here. You have a little crush on big, bad Bakura, don't you?"

Marik bristled, cheeks flushing further. "That's not-! I was just-!" he stammered, trying to find the words to respond. Bakura's smirk widened as the Egyptian fidgeted under his gaze. "I'm not gay!" Marik exclaimed finally, squeezing his eyes shut. Bakura blinked at him once, before backing away and slapping a hand on his mouth. Marik opened his eyes, glaring at the Brit, who was currently trying his best to hold back laughter. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing," Bakura snickered, waving the Egyptian off. "But, since you're so adamant in not wanting to talk to me, I suppose I'll let you be." He turned, walking over to his own cart. "See you in school." He threw a wink over his shoulder, which Marik tried his best to ignore.

"Right. School. Tomorrow," Marik said in a slight daze. As he watched Bakura stroll off, he had to push down a surge of sudden disappointment. He actually liked talking to Bakura, even if the Brit crushed his nerves down so hard it turned them to dust. He shook his head quickly, turning around and walking in the opposite direction. _Marik, you idiot! You did exactly the opposite of what you were supposed to! You big, stupid dumbass! _Sighing, he took out the phone and looked through the contacts. Thankfully, Ishizu had added her number in there for him already. He looked at his cart and frowned at the lack of food he put in. _Oh well,_ he thought. _It's better than running into Bakura again_. So he dialed his sisters number and they met up at the cashier.

"That's all your getting?" Ishizu asked, blinking at Marik. "Usually you get a lot more junk food. What happened? Are you not feeling well?"

"Y-yeah, you could say that," Marik said nervously, fidgeting slightly. "My stomach's not agreeing with me right now, so..."

Ishizu smiled sympathetically at her brother. "Don't worry, Marik. I'll cook you some rice when we get home, since it'll be easy on your stomach," she said, beginning to put the food items on the belt.

Marik smiled wearily back at her. "Thanks," he replied with a slight sigh. He felt bad for lying to Ishizu, but he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He definitely did _not_ want his sister meeting Bakura. That would just spell out trouble.

The wait to pay wasn't long and they got out of the store quickly, much to Marik's delight. He decided to rest after he ate dinner, pushing everything from his mind once he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"_You, Marik Ishtar, are a disgrace to this family! A disgrace!" _A large shadow moved to a table.

"_F-father... Wait... What are you doing...?" _He cowered in the corner, unsure of where to run.

"_Something I should have done long ago, Marik. Something I should have done long ago..." _A knife was brandished as the shadow moved closer, and closer.

"_N-no! Stay back! Help! Someone help me!"_ The shadow continued to move closer, still. "_HELP!"_

"_It's time you get what you deserved!"_

"_NOOO!"_

Marik awoke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat. He looked at his clock, reading _4:30 AM _in red letters. The dream came rushing back, pounding on his head with the strength of one thousand hammers. He slowly sat up, resting his head in his palm, panting. Taking deep breathes, he tried to calm himself. _Just a dream. It was just a dream._ He exhaled heavily, sliding out of the bed. _He won't be coming back. Ishizu and Rishid promised he wouldn't. He'll leave us alone, and all will be well._

Deciding that he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, he decided to go ahead and get ready for school. But, taking a nice, long shower was first on the list. He grabbed some clothes and made his way to the bathroom, making sure to be quiet as he fetched a towel from the closet near said bathroom. He went inside, hanging the towel on the rack. As he stripped, he looked at his back in the mirror, his mind wandering back to the nightmare. It would've been scarred horribly, had it not been for Ishizu's last minute intervention. Thankfully, she had heard his cry for help, and came rushing to his rescue, along with Rishid. Marik shivered at the memory, turning the water on hot. Once the water was warm enough, he stepped in and let his mind empty.

Showers always helped Marik clear his mind. They made him forget the bad things for the time being, giving him a period of bliss. He'd forget about his dad, his would've been scarred back, the memories of Egypt, everything. It was his sanctuary. But as time rolled by, he knew he'd have to get out sooner or later. So when 30 full minutes passed, he got out and dried himself off, getting dressed in his clothes for the day. He looked over himself in the mirror – a baby blue, long-sleeved shirt and faded jeans. The tattoos on the edges of his eyes were as bold as ever, reminding him of his origins. His lavender eyes gleamed back at him; he hated how the color made him to so effeminate. It didn't help that his blonde hair was put up in a towel-turban to help it dry. He made a mental note to find and unpack the hair drier as soon as possible.

With one last scowl at his reflection, he went about doing his morning duties, being extra thorough just to waste time. When 5:20 AM rolled around, he decided to head back to his room, feeling a lot better since he woke up from that stupid dream. With nothing better to do, he sat on his bed and fiddled with his phone, playing games until Ishizu woke up. Once she knocked, he answered that he was already up and ready.

"What are you doing up?" she inquired once she opened the door, watching Marik tap his phone. "You're usually never up this early."

"I had a nightmare about father," Marik explained, not looking up at his sister. He could guess her expression; wide, worried eyes with a sympathetic frown. Oh, how he hated that look. Ishizu walked over and sat on the bed next to him. She opened her mouth, but Marik cut her off. "I know what you're going to say, Ishizu. You're going to say that father won't find us this time, and that we're safe here." He looked up at her, eyebrows furrowed. "But... what if he does find us? What if we have to move again?" His school friends' faces flashed through his mind. "I feel like... I belong here. People aren't bullying me... or, at least not yet. And I've actually made friends. I don't want to lose that again..." He looked back down at his phone, continuing to play his game.

Ishizu's frown deepened as she wrapped her brother in a hug. "Do not worry, Marik. Rishid and I refuse to let him hurt you. I promise," she whispered, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "He will not get to you."

Marik grimaced, wiping his forehead off. "Don't do that," he muttered. "Let's just go eat breakfast." He looked at the clock, which now read _6:45 AM_. Ishizu nodded, following her brother downstairs. They decided to have cereal, and ate in silence.

Ishizu stood by the door as Marik slipped on his jacket and backpack. "I'll see you when you get home," she said with a small smile.

Marik opened the door. He looked back at her, flashing a grin. "Yeah. Try not to eat all the junk food," he teased.

Ishizu flushed as she opened her mouth to retort, but the door closed and cut her off. "Geez, that Marik..." she whispered to herself, laughing softly. "Such a typical teenager."

* * *

"Hey! Marik!" Ryou's voice called out from behind. Marik turned, expression lighting into a smile as he watched the younger Whittemore running over to him. "Are you ready for your second day of school?"

"Hey, Ryou. I'm ready as ever," Marik answered with a slight laugh. "Why are you so excited, anyway? It's school!"

"With every day comes a new adventure!" Ryou cheered. "Don't you agree?" He blinked up at Marik, grinning.

"Yeah, sure... By the way, where's your brother?" Marik asked, words slipping out again. He cursed himself, wondering why on earth had he asked that.

"Bakura? Oh, he went on ahead. He said something about needing to take care of something. Dunno what it was, though," Ryou explained with a slight sigh. "Probably getting into another fight."

Marik thought back to yesterday during English, when Bakura nearly got into a fist fight. "You're probably right. He does seem the type to get into fights a lot," he chuckled.

Ryou glanced at Marik. "You notice a lot about my brother," he observed.

Marik tensed, looking at Ryou nervously. "H-huh?" he stammered. "But isn't it common knowledge that he's one of the most feared students? And that you should never pick a fight with him unless you want to go to the hospital?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ryou said thoughtfully. "But you know, when Bakura came home from the store last night, he said he saw you there. He was also acting quite strangely." He grinned up at Marik. "I wonder why that is?"

Marik cheeks burned. He opened his mouth to deny the implications, then realized they had arrived at Ryou's locker. "Welp, gotta go to my locker, see ya!" he quickly exclaimed, running off. He knew he should've at least denied Ryou's claims, but he honesty just wanted to get away from there as soon as possible.

When Marik arrived at his locker, he heaved a sigh. He made quick work of putting his backpack away and taking out his books, then making his way to Math. The Egyptian was not looking forward to Ms. Ketchburg's strict lesson, but at least he didn't have to introduce himself again.

Once Marik entered the classroom, he noticed straight away that Bakura hadn't arrived yet, along with Ryou. With a frown, he couldn't help but wonder where they could have gone. He glanced at the clock. _Only one minute until class starts..._ he thought. _What's taking them so long?_ As soon as that thought finished, Ryou entered the class, dragging along a scowling Bakura. Marik raised a brow at Ryou, mentally asking him where he'd been. Ryou waved him off, a signal for _I'll tell you later_.

As soon as Ryou and Bakura were both seated, the bell rang and Ms. Ketchburg waddled into the classroom. "Take out your homework and turn to page 126 and do numbers 29-45," she sneered, glaring at her students. Silently, said students complied. All but Marik, of course. Noticing this, Ms. Ketchburg walked over to the Egyptian, narrowing her eyes at him. "Mr. Ishtar," she began. "Where is your homework?"

The class went deadly silent. Marik could feel the eyes of his fellow classmates penetrating him from all around. "I... I accidentally left it at home," he murmured, looking Ms. Ketchburg straight in the eye.

"You left it at home?!" the teacher practically screeched. "Mr. Ishtar, it is only your second day of school and you have already forgotten your homework?! You should be ashamed of yourself! What a disgrace!" The words struck Marik like a knife.

"_You, Marik Ishtar, are a disgrace to this family! A disgrace!"_

"I-I'm sorry," Marik apologized weakly, feeling himself pale. "I won't do it again, I promise..."

Ms. Ketchburg narrowed her eyes even further. "If this happens again, I will not hesitate to give you detention. Do you understand me?" she hissed.

"Yes, ma'am," Marik muttered, looking down at his desk. "I understand."

"Good," Ms. Ketchburg huffed with a smirk, walking to the front of the class. She quickly took notice of her students' stillness. "What are you staring at? Do your work! Now!" With those frightening words, the students quickly got to work.

Ms. Ketchburg's class passed just as slowly as the day before; what was only 45 minutes seemed to be 2 hours. And just like the previous day, all the students rushed out right when the bell rang. Marik was last out again.

"That was horrible!" Ryou's voice came from beside Marik, startling him.

"Whoa! Don't sneak up on me like that, Ryou!" the Egyptian yelped. "You scared the crap outta me!"

Ryou smiled at him apologetically. "Sorry, sorry," he said, laughing slightly. "But Ms. Ketchburg was real brutal on you! Are you okay now? You looked like you were about to have a mental breakdown."

Marik sent Ryou a soft grin. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to getting yelled at. Plus, I've been through worse, trust me," he said. He looked around, noticing something was off. "Hey, where's Bakura? Isn't he usually with you?"

Ryou smirked inwardly. "You're pretty fond of him, aren't you, Marik?" he asked without answering Marik's question, snickering softly as the others cheeks lit up.

"No! No, no, no! That's not it at all!" Marik stammered, waving his hands in front of him for emphasis. "We've only known each other for a day, so I barely know anything about him! Plus, he's a complete and utter asshole. I'd _never_ be 'pretty fond' of him. Never! He's a total jerk who just messes around with me. I don't like him at all; not _one bit_, okay?"

Ryou stared at Marik with wide eyes. "You know," he began slowly, a smile slipping onto his face. "That must be the most I've ever heard you say. You don't happen to be the type of person to ramble when you're nervous, are you?"

Marik gaped at Ryou. "Let's... let's just get to Science!" he sputtered, rushing ahead of the now laughing Ryou.

* * *

**A/N: I'm gonna have to end it here. ****Please leave a review and tell me whatcha think!**


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